Rumble in the Jungle - 40 years on

I was only three at the time so have absolutely no recollection of the fight but over years I've watched this fight countless times and still love it like the first time I saw it. Do yourselves a favour boys, even if you've just watched this morning, find time to watch perhaps the greatest achievement in boxing, marvel at most charismatic human being on the planet, be humbled by The Greatest.

40 years later it still has the power to captivate.

(nice article from the BBC here... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/boxing/29796214- with Colin hart still banging on about how he was the only British Journo to get the result right...pr!ck)

I was 7, Ali was my hero. I was scared stiff in the run up to the fight, and ecstatic/disbelieving at the outcome. One of my first boxing memories... My fear for Ali perhaps being accounted for by my first boxing memory.... Watching itv's world of sport as foreman battered Frazier.

Wasnt alive obviously in 1974, seen the fight coutless times and the buildup interviews it was no doubt an all time great performance and an iconic moment in the 20th centuary

The rumble in the jungle sort of reminds me of our fued on 606v2 DAVE.

You (FORMAN) swinging and wailing away, landing what looks like meaningful blows, and chasing me (ALI) all over the ring (606v2) like a zombie hoping to land that ko blow that unsurprisingly for you never materialises.

Then there is me (ALI) leading you (FORMAN) on and teasing you as you get madder and madder and madder until like a green novice with enough condensation behind you're ears to wash a baby elephant you punch (talk) yourself out and gass pathetically only for me (ALI) to deliver a ONETWO combo to put you flat on you're back looking up wondering ''how''

Ha ha we still have a truce tho.

Nice article to remember 1 of the greatest fights in boxing history.

ONETWOFOREVER wrote:The rumble in the jungle sort of reminds me of our fued on 606v2 DAVE.

You (FORMAN) swinging and wailing away, landing what looks like meaningful blows, and chasing me (ALI) all over the ring (606v2) like a zombie hoping to land that ko blow that unsurprisingly for you never materialises.

Then there is me (ALI) leading you (FORMAN) on and teasing you as you get madder and madder and madder until like a green novice with enough condensation behind you're ears to wash a baby elephant you punch (talk) yourself out and gass pathetically only for me (ALI) to deliver a ONETWO combo to put you flat on you're back looking up wondering ''how''

Ha ha we still have a truce tho.  

Nice article to remember 1 of the greatest fights in boxing history.

Ever considered becoming a sub-editor?

Interesting Insight onethree. There's definitely a dope getting roped in your fude with Dave.

superflyweight wrote:

ONETWOFOREVER wrote:The rumble in the jungle sort of reminds me of our fued on 606v2 DAVE.

You (FORMAN) swinging and wailing away, landing what looks like meaningful blows, and chasing me (ALI) all over the ring (606v2) like a zombie hoping to land that ko blow that unsurprisingly for you never materialises.

Then there is me (ALI) leading you (FORMAN) on and teasing you as you get madder and madder and madder until like a green novice with enough condensation behind you're ears to wash a baby elephant you punch (talk) yourself out and gass pathetically only for me (ALI) to deliver a ONETWO combo to put you flat on you're back looking up wondering ''how''

Ha ha we still have a truce tho.  

Nice article to remember 1 of the greatest fights in boxing history.

Ever considered becoming a sub-editor?  

STRONGBACK already employs him (on his days off from the Circus). Aside from his hatred for Froch, I find ONETWONO-MAS to be one of the most deplorable individuals to frequent the boards but he's so pathetic it's nigh on impossible for that hatred not to morph into anything other than pity

One of those things that I'll always be a bit mardy about not being able to experience in its own time as it happened, but even then you can still appreciate four decades later just how important it was in legitimising Ali's claim to be the greatest Heavy ever and what a monumental moment in was in sport, and in pop culture overall.

I can remember when I was fourteen back in 2002, when C4 ran their '100 greatest sporting moments' show. You should have seen me bleating to my old man when The Rumble came in at something like number seven, while the top spot went to Sir Steve Redgrave for his fifth gold in Sydney! Come on now, C4! Thought Ali-Foreman should have been top then, and still think it has a great claim now.....Certainly ahead of Sir Steve, anyway!

Appears it's also 54 years to the day since Cassius Clay made his professional debut!!!

Ha ha, there were some feisty debates on Redgrave in the GOAT thing a couple of years ago. Churlish though I believe of some to belittle the achievements of the charisma-free, exponent of a minority gym activity.

88Chris05 wrote:One of those things that I'll always be a bit mardy about not being able to experience in its own time as it happened, but even then you can still appreciate four decades later just how important it was in legitimising Ali's claim to be the greatest Heavy ever and what a monumental moment in was in sport, and in pop culture overall.

I can remember when I was fourteen back in 2002, when C4 ran their '100 greatest sporting moments' show. You should have seen me bleating to my old man when The Rumble came in at something like number seven, while the top spot went to Sir Steve Redgrave for his fifth gold in Sydney! Come on now, C4! Thought Ali-Foreman should have been top then, and still think it has a great claim now.....Certainly ahead of Sir Steve, anyway!

Sir? Are they giving out knighthoods to boat people now? This country...!

For all it's historical impact what a very boring fight.....

Very little in the way of skill.............A fighter fighting like a rank novice giving a very durable fighter a pounding until he got Knackered....Basically Rocky vs Clubber Lang..

If it was Chagaev v Vitali we'd be saying how crap they both were..

Great win nonetheless.............Ali's habit of taming monsters that made other fighters shiver is one of the reasons I have him number 1.......

Would a Ray Robinson have had the bottle to perform against Liston, Frazier, Foreman types who knows ??........Probably would..

Great fight immortalised in "When we were Kings", but where the legend for my money is less impressive than the reality.

For me, the legend that Ali and Dundee out thought the unbeatable Foreman with rope-a-dope, is less impressive than the reality which to my eyes is that Ali out fought the unbeatable Foreman.

As one of the few contributors (rarely) to this site who is old enough to remember the fight and the lead-up to it, it is 100% true that the result was a complete shock.
Irrespective of Truss's comments it was compelling viewing and for those of us with an interest in boxing was the only subject for weeks before and after.
It is also true that never were there more people blessed with 20/20 hindsight.

I was nine at the time. Watched it with my Dad and brother on our black and white TV, and we all wanted Ali to win so desperately but knew it was a big task. What a feeling to see him succeed against such a strong opponent as George. Ali was a huge part of my childhood - loved to watch all his fights (apart from the final 2 against Holmes and Berbick - he should never have been fighting by that point).

Eyetoldyouso wrote:As one of the few contributors (rarely) to this site who is old enough to remember the fight and the lead-up to it, it is 100% true that the result was a complete shock.
Irrespective of Truss's comments it was compelling viewing and for those of us with an interest in boxing was the only subject for weeks before and after.
It is also true that never were there more people blessed with 20/20 hindsight.

It was a huge fight, an amazing feat of endurance and an amazing upset.............Never disputed that..

I don't find it an interesting fight to watch and think it was amateur night...

Regardless I have Ali as number 1 ATG...................Nobody conquered Everest as much as him..

BBC radio 5 are doing a feature on it right now. Commentating as live with Froch, Haye & Hatton. Interesting stuff

I go with the opinion that the fight was actually quite dull for the most part,although I thoroughly enjoy watching nevetheless ,not a fight to convert people to the sport,as for the most part it is simply George punching a covering-up Ali's arms.
I would positively urge people to read Norman Mailer's book on The Rumble, called "The Fight",where the author hangs out with Ali and gives a great account of the run-up as well as the socio-political background.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:

Eyetoldyouso wrote:As one of the few contributors (rarely) to this site who is old enough to remember the fight and the lead-up to it, it is 100% true that the result was a complete shock.
Irrespective of Truss's comments it was compelling viewing and for those of us with an interest in boxing was the only subject for weeks before and after.
It is also true that never were there more people blessed with 20/20 hindsight.

It was a huge fight, an amazing feat of endurance and an amazing upset.............Never disputed that..

I don't find it an interesting fight to watch and think it was amateur night...

Regardless I have Ali as number 1 ATG...................Nobody conquered Everest as much as him..

What age were you in 1974? 15

It's always different looking back on a fight and critiquing it. At the time you can be on the edge of your seat, fascinated by what might happen even if the output is low.

It's like watching a tense game of football, you may not want to watch it over and over again but the significance at the time can be massive. Would you honestly want to sit down and watch the Chelsea Bayern Munich final from 2012 again as live?

I agree with Andy as well that the socio political atmosphere of the time gives the fight an additional context.

As famous as the Rumble in the Jungle is, having watched a few documenteries on Joe Louis I cant see how the Rumble could surpass Joe Louis v Max Schemeling II as biggest/most significant sports events.

The pressure on Louis in the fight is hard imagine. It seemed the entire world was watching (or listening). Issues of polititcs, race, nationalism and literal war. Louis was only 23 or 24 I think and he had the entire nation resting on his shoulders.

Shame Schmelling had lost to Sharkey before it.....and was getting a slap when he deliberately stayed down on a foul against him the fight before..

Ali was fighting an unknown quantity.

Dipper's right. Ali foreman might not be much of a spectacle, but it's the sheer tension that made it compelling viewing at the time. It's not something I revisit a a classic, because once you know the result you can't recreate the butterflies on your stomach.

Louis schmelling ii would certainly win on political significance but not, in my view, in sporting significance.

I only watched it for the first time about 2 years ago and had up till then believed Ali was being battered pillar to post until the miraculous last round.

How wrong I was as Ali was very much in the fight and probably ahead at the time of the stoppage.

I still can't truly grasp the importance/magnitude of it but had I been around at the time it would have been unbelievable!

There was a BBC Radio 5 Live show last night with Hatton, Haye and Froch watching each round and scoring it. I found it very interesting and watched the fight on youtube whilst listening to them. If is downloadable or on the website I would recommend listening to it.

Above any thing, that fight proved that Ali may have lost the ability to dance out of the way,but he could take a punch.They weren't all taken on the arms and Foreman was a big puncher 37 knockouts from 40 fights,not many could stand up several rounds of that punishment.Ken Norton was one of the very few who picked Ali to win that fight.

Norton only picked him because Colin hart gave him the tip

rapidringsroad wrote:Above any thing, that fight proved that Ali may have lost the ability to dance out of the way,but he could take a punch.They weren't all taken on the arms and Foreman was a big puncher 37 knockouts from 40 fights,not many could stand up several rounds of that punishment.Ken Norton was one of the very few who picked Ali to win that fight.

I think some of the body shots Ali took were frightening............If his condition was Boxing related then this fight didn't help....

It wasn't a great boxing performance..............It was an amzing feat of endurance and heart.......

Not to be recommended..

One plus side to the Rumble anniversary is there are at least two new books out about Ali. About time someone filled that particular gap in the market.

If either of them have an introduction by Colin Hart explain how he (SPOLIER ALERT) predicted the outcome of the fight...I'll be asking my wife for it for Xmas.

DAVE667 wrote:If either of them have an introduction by Colin Hart explain how he (SPOLIER ALERT) predicted the outcome of the fight...I'll be asking my wife for it for Xmas.

One of them does have a foreword by Tony Parsons, if there is one persons opinion I respect on boxing it is obviously Parsons.

Although Nicholas Parsons is the true authoritarian on boxing history in the parsons household

What about the bald headed beardy comedian Andy Parsons?

DAVE667 wrote:What about the bald headed beardy comedian Andy Parsons?

He is more a MMA fan to be fair.

I get that impression watching him on tv...it's even more apparent watching him live

I bought a "Burley" book once.................

I was expecting to see page after page of naked strong bodies......

I was very disappointed..

Why, Craig Burley must have been in decent shape during his playing career.